Tommy & The Dipsticks (The Crooked Hearts)

Tommy & The Dipsticks were a Sydney based Punk Rock band that started around 1977. The Dipsticks’ guitarists John Cowper & Peter Mullany from Johnny Dole & The Scabs were school mates so Peter was able to help the band with their first gig.

Like Johnny Dole & The Scabs, they were one of the few Punk Rock bands at the time to play in an English style doing covers of Rolling Stones and Beatles songs plus a few originals thrown in for good measure.

When the doors to the legendary Grand Hotel – Broadway Sydney were opened for the first time on Friday 16th September 1977 a support band was needed and Peter suggested his mate’s band. It was agreed to give them a go and as it turned out they were a great match and they went on to support them many more times.

The bands for that opening night were Johnny Dole & The Scabs supported by Tommy & The Dipsticks for just $1.00 so in reality, Tommy & The Dipsticks have the distinction of being the first band to play at the Grand Hotel.

After Johnny Dole & The Scabs disbanded, Johnny Dole & Peter Mullany joined forces with Tommy & The Dipsticks and The Crooked Hearts were born, mid-1978.

Line-up: Tommy & The Dipsticks

John Cowper – Guitar/Vocals

Tommy Ebejer – Bass/Vocals

Russell McRae – Drums/Vocals

Line-up: The Crooked Hearts

Johnny Dole – Lead Vocals

Peter Mullany – Guitar

John Cowper – Guitar/Vocals

Tommy Ebejer – Bass/Vocals

Russell McRae – Drums/Vocals

Please follow and like us:

About the author:
I’ve been playing drums and singing in bands since 1973 and still going …… strong!! Now playing in Sydney covers/party band Mad Cow http://www.madcowtheband.com.au

Amazing. These guys were my old school mates. I’m still in conatct with Tom. He plays mostly jazz double bass these days. They’re all still alive and kicking (except I don’t know about Johnny Dole – never knew him at all really). Pete and Tom were in band together before the Scabs and the Dipsticks developed. I remember driving them and their stuff to their first gig at the Royal George in Sussex Street – that would have been 1975!!

A few years back Tommy and the Dipsticks got together again for one night – I think it was Russell’s 40th birthday. These guys would be amused to find out that they are part of ‘history’ now – what a scream.

Just to clarify one point – all these guys were school mates – except for Dole (god knows where he came from or where he went to). We were all good Catholic boys. This is what a Catholic education can do to you. There was another guy too – Paul Cosgrove – who played drums in the precursor band (I think they called themselves White Heat). Cya

This was just a small piece I wrote about the boys so they were represented on this web site, I thought it would be nice they got a mention. It was just my memories of knowing them back then. In fact John Cowper and I played in a band together a number of years ago after I got back in contact with him through a mutual friend and it was good to reminisce about the old days.

Nice to be part of history!! Wish I could remember some of it. Reckon you did a great job Greg and appreciate your efforts. We did play my 40th… and my 50th. It’s on YouTube… even a couple of originals. Next plan is for the 60th ??!!!???? If we succeed we will have been playing “good” music for 5 decades!!

Hi Greg,Maury and Moose
Tommy here.I always have a smile when I think back to the Grand ol days
I remember eyes stinging form sweat and just having a great feeling from the raw energy of those times.
Yes the Dipsticks reform every 10 years for each of our birthday parties . Next one in four and a half years when I turn sixty.
Now playing locally in Lismore doin a bit of country and going to have a go of doing 60’s and 70’s stuff in a band line up of double bass, violin, cello and guitar
Also back into electric bass a 5 stinger
Cheers
Tommy

The Dipsticks were great, The Crooked Hearts had a few good nights, no one was playing in an English style, we just played stuff, wrote songs and did a few gigs, and had a great time, we wrote our own soundtrack to our lives.